Who needs handles?

I eliminated the need for cabinet handles or pulls in my kitchen by designing cut-out openings that allow you to grasp the door or drawer and open it. The pattern of openings become a design element: creating interest, yet still sleek and unfussy.

Ok, I admit, I didn't come up with this idea all on my own! At my architecture firm, Bohl Architects, we've been integrating this design detail into our projects for many years. At left is the Baltimore Loft kitchen of principal architect Chip Bohl.

In this guest room, Chip designed a built-in armoir that takes this idea even further.

Modern Fabrics

A great online source for discounted fabric is Modern Fabrics. A friend gave me these danish modern chairs and I had new cushions made for them. Modern Fabrics "rescues" leftover designer fabric and resells it at a steep discount. As you don't need a lot of yardage to make cushions, this was the perfect place for me to find upholstery fabric. The website lists how many yards they have and offers free swatches. And best of all, they have a variety of modern designs that are usually only available to the trade.

Ideas - Kitchen Bar

I had the different parts of this bar fabricated, and we installed it ourselves. I designed the brackets and had them made by a local metal fabricator. We painted them silver to match the bar stools. The top is fireslate. We screwed the brackets to the back panel of the cabinets, and then glued the top down with construction adhesive.

When designing a bar you just have to remember that bar stools come in two seat heights - for counters and bars. Kitchen counters are usually 36" high and bars are around 42" high.

These bar stools are from Design Within Reach.

Ideas - More Display Shelves

We only have a few overhead cabinets in our kitchen, mainly because I added three windows where most people would probably put more cabinets. I wanted to bring the outside into the house as much as possible, and the view of the woods behind our house is really nice. To create more storage space, I had a glass company make curved shelves from 3/8" glass - the kind you would use for the top of a coffee table. I mounted these just above eye-level in front of the windows on brackets I bought at Ikea. It's a handy storage area for stuff that's nice to look at.

Ideas - Display Shelves

These display shelves (holding my 8-year-old daughter, Ella's, fantastic artwork) are made from steel angles. Before the drywall was installed, we notched a groove into the studs to receive the vertical leg of the steel angle. Then, the drywall went up around the angles, leaving the horizontal leg exposed to create a small ledge. I coated the exposed steel with a clear finish so it wouldn't rust.

I thumbtack the artwork to black foam core, which let's us easily change things around when she brings home new stuff










We use this room as a Den/TV Room, but it was our bedroom until we took over the second floor apartment.